Hi guys,
I'm about 10 dives beyond my OW certification now and wanted to run a couple questions by you.
Air consumption: I'm a large guy so I know that I will always use plenty of air; right now an AL80 filled to 3000psi will last me about 40 minutes at 60ft or up. I've been working on my consumption, taking slow and deep breaths (each exhale lasts me 3-5 seconds). I also discovered that if I am less quick to fine tune my buoyancy (add some air, dump some air, add some air, dump some air...) that I get back almost 200psi over a dive.
That said, is there anything else I can do to minimize my air consumption? I know larger tanks and higher pressures are available, and I might make the upgrade, but I want to get my fundamentals in order before trying to buy my way out of my problem.
Second question: suction-y fins. I use some ankle-strap fins that I love because they fit my feet quite nicely. Perhaps too nicely - even with the strap unhooked, yanking the fins off my booties takes quite a bit of effort. It feels like a vacuum has formed, and it is not fun to be flopping around at the back of the boat trying to get your fins off (or rolling around in the waves). Any suggestions for easier removal?
I'm about 10 dives beyond my OW certification now and wanted to run a couple questions by you.
Air consumption: I'm a large guy so I know that I will always use plenty of air; right now an AL80 filled to 3000psi will last me about 40 minutes at 60ft or up. I've been working on my consumption, taking slow and deep breaths (each exhale lasts me 3-5 seconds). I also discovered that if I am less quick to fine tune my buoyancy (add some air, dump some air, add some air, dump some air...) that I get back almost 200psi over a dive.
That said, is there anything else I can do to minimize my air consumption? I know larger tanks and higher pressures are available, and I might make the upgrade, but I want to get my fundamentals in order before trying to buy my way out of my problem.
Second question: suction-y fins. I use some ankle-strap fins that I love because they fit my feet quite nicely. Perhaps too nicely - even with the strap unhooked, yanking the fins off my booties takes quite a bit of effort. It feels like a vacuum has formed, and it is not fun to be flopping around at the back of the boat trying to get your fins off (or rolling around in the waves). Any suggestions for easier removal?